The Tennessee Titans dropped their Week 12 contest to the Cincinnati Bengals, which has them shifting backwards in NFL energy rankings going into Week 13.
We begin with USA TODAY’s Nate Davis, who has the Titans shifting again one spot to No. 11. Right here’s what he needed to say about Tennessee:
11. Titans (10): They stunning a lot go as their finest participant does. Tennessee is now 1-3, Sunday’s loss included, when RB Derrick Henry doesn’t rush for not less than 85 yards.
Whereas Tennessee’s passing assault has taken steps in the appropriate path these final three video games, the dashing assault goes the other method because of very shoddy blocking upfront.
Henry has failed to interrupt the century mark in every of the final three video games after a five-game streak, and he’s averaged simply 2.8, 3.1 and a pair of.2 yards per carry in that span.
The Titans are going to wish much more than that shifting ahead, particularly in a really robust matchup in opposition to the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 13. Now, the remainder of our energy rankings round-up.
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Sunday’s defeat to the Bengals demonstrated that if Derrick Henry (17 carries, 38 yards) can’t set up his will on the bottom, then the Titans are, as soon as once more, most likely too restricted to take critically as a respectable contender. However Mike Vrabel’s bunch routinely punches above its weight class on protection and nonetheless performs a bodily model of disciplined soccer. The Titans, deadly flaws and all, ought to scare a number of the higher-flying AFC contenders if they will catch them on a foul day.
Syndication: The Tennessean
This may have been a pleasant recreation for Tennessee to win. Construct on the comfy lead within the AFC South and take down a workforce it is going to possible need to face within the playoffs. Nevertheless, it wasn’t meant to be.
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Vinnie Iyer, Sporting Information:
The Titans obtained their working recreation contained with Derrick Henry and couldn’t go sufficient with Ryan Tannehill to outduel Burrow. They might want to actually “Titan up” in every single place with the Eagles up in Philadelphia subsequent.
Syndication: The Tennessean
Frank Schwab, Yahoo Sports activities:
The Titans depend on Derrick Henry, so his final three video games are a bit regarding. His yards per carry during the last three weeks: 2.8, 3.1, 2.2. I don’t wish to make the error of claiming Henry is in decline, however Tennessee wants him to play properly or their offense goes to wrestle.
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Josh Schrock, NBC Sports activities:
10. Tennessee Titans (7-4): Mike Vrabel is nice a maximizing expertise, however that may solely take you up to now. The Titans simply don’t have sufficient horses to be a real title contender.
Syndication: The Tennessean
Dan Hanzus, NFL.com:
The Titans win video games by imposing their will on the opponent. On Sunday, the Bengals got here to Nissan Stadium and have been the extra bodily workforce on either side of the ball in a 20-16 Tennessee loss that served as a rematch of January’s memorable playoff showdown. An pointless roughness penalty by lineman Kevin Robust concluded the sport in an anticlimactic method, however the Titans’ focus must be on get Derrick Henry going in opposition to an AFC rival they might see once more come playoff time. Henry managed simply 38 yards on 17 carries on Sunday and has averaged simply 2.7 yards per rush in his final two conferences with Cincinnati. The Bengals have the Huge Canine on a leash.
Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports activities
Turron Davenport, ESPN:
Lifelike expectation: Successful the AFC South.
Regardless of a irritating loss to the Bengals, the Titans have a two-game lead over the Colts within the AFC South. All issues are pointing towards the Titans successful the division, though they’ve two video games in opposition to the Jaguars on the horizon. Tennessee’s passing recreation is beginning to come alive, however the dashing assault hasn’t been the identical over the previous three weeks. The Titans will probably be a harmful workforce if they will discover steadiness on offense. And the protection hasn’t allowed an opposing workforce to attain greater than 20 factors in eight weeks.
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Mike Florio, Professional Soccer Speak:
13. Titans (7-4; No. 12): They want somebody to step up on the uncommon days when Derrick Henry will get bottled up.
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Pete Prisco, CBS Sports activities:
They nonetheless maintain an enormous lead within the division, however the loss to the Bengals gained’t assist playoff seeding. The offense discovered how robust it may be when Derrick Henry can’t run it.